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Spam prevention
Rainmaker
539,848
Jerry Lucas
ABC Legal Docs LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Notary Training, Consulting. Colorado Springs, CO

This is a type of spear phishing attack where the bad guy has some specific personal knowledge about the target such as a vendor, account,  transaction, friend, family member, employer, social activity, hobby, etc.

This information may be gathered from social media where people talk too much and expose personal information, creating a security weakness.

In WWII, the slogan was "Loose lips, sink ships". In other words, keep quiet, don't leak security information

An assertion is not a confirmed fact until it is verified by one or more separate credible methods.  Multi-factor authentication is used to protect and verify valuable accounts and information.

The phone number was unknown, not the daughter's phone number and not an emergency service provider (police, fire, hospital), doctor, family member, or family friend.

Family members can memorize a password to use to authenticate calls and a code word to signal an emergency.  No cost.

An important phone call can be confirmed by a follow-up email, to use a second communication channel. This is known as Out-Of-Band Authentication (OOBA).

I use encrypted Proton Mail with strong two-factor authentication (2FA). Proton Mail also serves as a Certification Authority (CA) and also digitally signs my outgoing email using a PGP key as verification of the email source, to prevent anyone from impersonating my email.

I don't use Big Tech snoop mail and snoop storage.  I use encrypted email and encrypted storage. I don't broadcast my life story and photos on social media.  I follow best practices for cybersecurity, home security, and  personal security.

Every individual can choose to learn and follow security best practices or not.  There are free videos on YouTube, articles on credible websites, free personal safety classes at the police department, crime prevention information from neighborhood watch, etc.

Passing more laws will not stop criminals. We already have laws against cybercrime, spam, harassment, burglary, theft, assault, murder.

Criminals seek weak targets. Become a hard target by target hardening.

Jun 15, 2023 09:25 AM
Rainmaker
5,278,889
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

This actually happened to a neighbor of ours last year... when all was done, he was out $5,000.

Jun 14, 2023 08:05 AM
Rainmaker
5,451,587
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

There are two groups of people. One's that follow the law and one's who don't  care. AI is going to challenge those of us who care. And, that's the way it is.

Jun 14, 2023 07:50 AM
Ambassador
3,249,717
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
The best agent in Southern Utah!

AI is just another detrimental tool in the hands of criminals, allowing more opportunities to scam the vulnerable. The only way to fix it is to have someone in charge at the top that really cares.

Jun 14, 2023 07:04 AM
Rainmaker
1,284,981
Peter Mohylsky, Destin BeachPro
PMI. Destin - Miramar Beach, FL
Call me at 850-517-7098

It has always been a scary world out there.  This is just a new chapter from that same book.  Buyer beware has always been a well offered mantra.  It takes on new meanings as we try to determine the fine line between truth and fiction.  

Jun 14, 2023 06:43 AM
Rainmaker
1,096,100
Candice A. Donofrio
Next Wave RE Investments LLC Bullhead City AZ Commercial RE Broker - Fort Mohave, AZ
928-201-4BHC (4242) call/text

They only need THREE SECONDS of YOUR voice to fabricate your voice any way they want . . . should we stop leaving outgoing messages with our voice on VM?

Jun 14, 2023 06:35 AM
Ambassador
3,210,294
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Already had that happen to ME.  Only it was my voice and a call to my mom saying I was going to jail for killing a pregnant woman in a car accident and that my attorney would be calling her back for "bond".  My mom was smart enough to call my uncle who is the city fire chief to get to the bottom of it.  The ONE thing that raised a red flag with my mom was what the "ME" on the phone called our local court house (and I won't disclose what that was because I don't want to give the scammers ammo). My mom didn't give the fake "attorney" any financial info or a credit card number, but it scared her very badly.  Apparently they copied my voice from youtube videos of properties and used AI to sound like me and even cloned my phone number so my mom's phone said it was ME calling.

Jun 14, 2023 01:06 PM
Rainmaker
637,534
Hella M. Rothwell, Broker/Realtor®
Carmel by the Sea, CA
Rothwell Realty Inc. CA#01968433 Carmel-by-the-Sea

How about we pull back on how much of our personal lives we put out there to the world about our personal lives?  But that won't happen because this is how our social life is played out these days.  The world knows what you are doing and with whom.  For us agents it's even more challenging because we need to talk to total strangers every day. I'm amazed how much trust they put in US when we ask them questions. But they figure they are SAFE because they initiated the contact . 

Jun 14, 2023 07:27 AM
Rainmaker
1,868,448
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

When I saw this yesterday I was shocked but all the techies said it was going to happen. Paul McCartney is going to finish a John Lennon song.

I have no thoughts on how to fix this.

Jun 14, 2023 06:31 AM
Ambassador
6,084,403
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Candice- I read that as well. Thugs and scum have been around forever. Thirty + years ago, Larry's mother received a call from her "granddaughter"asking for money because she was in trouble. Thankfully, she called me first. Now the thugs have the technology to help them. 

 

Parents or all of us should use a codeword to verify if the person is who they say they are. 

Jun 17, 2023 11:08 AM
Ambassador
3,418,387
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

 

I saw that.  Horrible.  While I am not a fan of "controls" AI is one beast that must be controlled.  How - I do not see how because the BEAST is already out running wild. 

The only possible way that I know that works in destroying data is bleach and hammers. It worked for Hillary. 

Jun 14, 2023 08:22 AM
Rainmaker
672,561
Greg Large
ERA Real Solutions - Grove City, OH
A Tradition of Trust

would be nice if agencies like the CIA and FBI that COULD find some of these lowlifes and prosecutors and judges put some away with meaningful sentences, it just *might* deter some who think it might be a good idea to try. 

Jun 14, 2023 10:21 AM
Rainmaker
5,981,047
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Our world gets scarier each and every day! 

Jun 14, 2023 07:19 AM
Rainmaker
786,084
Tony Lewis
Summit Real Estate Group - Valencia, CA
Summit Real Estate Group Valencia & Aliso Viejo

The problem with regulating AI is if America restricts the use of it the rest of the world will leave us behind.  It is going to be quite dangerous rather quickly.

Jun 18, 2023 06:58 PM
Rainmaker
930,698
Jeff Pearl
Samson Properties / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

Now is a good time to check passwords, do 2FA, establish password rotation system, use password vault, maybe even get a stronger email provider. ( note that LastPass was hacked twice in the last year or so). https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-lastpass-alternative/

Jun 16, 2023 08:58 AM
Rainmaker
940,461
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

This is terrible. 

Jun 16, 2023 08:50 AM
Rainmaker
2,244,907
Michael J. Perry
Fathom Realty - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist

Don’t be Fooled . AI will eliminate Millions of Jobs

Jun 15, 2023 04:08 PM
Ambassador
6,653,232
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

It will get worse.

Jun 14, 2023 04:30 PM